Wasp, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Wasp was a community located in Cocke County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee
. Situated in the upper Wolf Creek Valley in the rugged eastern part of the county, Wasp thrived as an Appalachia
n agrarian community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1930s, the United States Forest Service
purchased Wasp and its surrounding homesteads as part of an initiative to restore the Wolf Creek watershed (which had been logged), and the community was abandoned. Today, the ruins of Wasp have been designated a "Historically Significant" area, and are maintained by the Cherokee National Forest
. The ruins of Wasp provide a rare instance of the preservation of a complete early 20th-century Appalachian community's archaeological remains.
The remains of Wasp are located at just over 2500 feet (762 m) above sea level in the western Bald Mountains
a few miles east of Del Rio
. Wolf Creek flows northward through the former community en route to its mouth along the French Broad River
near the community of Wolf Creek. A crudely-maintained network of forest service roads pass through Wasp, connecting it with U.S. Route 70
in the French Broad valley to the north and the Round Mountain campground near Lemon Gap to the south. The Appalachian Trail
crosses the 4300 feet (1,310.6 m) summit of Walnut Mountain just south of Wasp, and a spur trail connects the A.T.'s Walnut Mountain shelter with the upper Wolf Creek Valley.
Although located just south of the French Broad Valley— which was an oft-used 18th-century migration route— the Wolf Creek area likely remained unsettled until the mid-19th century. After the U.S. Civil War, railroad companies attempted to complete a line through the French Broad Valley to connect Newport
and Hot Springs
, but ran into numerous financial and engineering obstacles. By 1870, the Tennessee half of the line reached only to the community of Wolf Creek, where passengers were transferred to a stagecoach that carried them up the valley to Hot Springs. In subsequent years, railroad company employees moved into the Wolf Creek Valley. Wasp was probably established around 1890, and by the early 1900s had its own post office, school, mission house, and gristmill
. The U.S. Forest Service began acquiring the upper Wolf Creek Valley in 1935. At present, the deteriorated schoolhouse and mission house remain, along with the cemetery and the ruins of several farmsteads.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Situated in the upper Wolf Creek Valley in the rugged eastern part of the county, Wasp thrived as an Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n agrarian community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1930s, the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
purchased Wasp and its surrounding homesteads as part of an initiative to restore the Wolf Creek watershed (which had been logged), and the community was abandoned. Today, the ruins of Wasp have been designated a "Historically Significant" area, and are maintained by the Cherokee National Forest
Cherokee National Forest
The Cherokee National Forest is a large National Forest created on July 19, 1936, by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, operated by the U.S. Forest Service and encompassing some 640,000 acres .-Location:...
. The ruins of Wasp provide a rare instance of the preservation of a complete early 20th-century Appalachian community's archaeological remains.
The remains of Wasp are located at just over 2500 feet (762 m) above sea level in the western Bald Mountains
Bald Mountains
The Bald Mountains are a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains...
a few miles east of Del Rio
Del Rio, Tennessee
Del Rio is an unincorporated community in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. Although it is not a census-designated place, the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for the ZIP Code that serves Del Rio had a population of 2,138, according to the 2000 census....
. Wolf Creek flows northward through the former community en route to its mouth along the French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
near the community of Wolf Creek. A crudely-maintained network of forest service roads pass through Wasp, connecting it with U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
in the French Broad valley to the north and the Round Mountain campground near Lemon Gap to the south. The Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
crosses the 4300 feet (1,310.6 m) summit of Walnut Mountain just south of Wasp, and a spur trail connects the A.T.'s Walnut Mountain shelter with the upper Wolf Creek Valley.
Although located just south of the French Broad Valley— which was an oft-used 18th-century migration route— the Wolf Creek area likely remained unsettled until the mid-19th century. After the U.S. Civil War, railroad companies attempted to complete a line through the French Broad Valley to connect Newport
Newport, Tennessee
Newport is a city in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,242 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cocke County.-Geography:...
and Hot Springs
Hot Springs, North Carolina
Hot Springs is a town in Madison County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 645 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Hot Springs is located at ....
, but ran into numerous financial and engineering obstacles. By 1870, the Tennessee half of the line reached only to the community of Wolf Creek, where passengers were transferred to a stagecoach that carried them up the valley to Hot Springs. In subsequent years, railroad company employees moved into the Wolf Creek Valley. Wasp was probably established around 1890, and by the early 1900s had its own post office, school, mission house, and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
. The U.S. Forest Service began acquiring the upper Wolf Creek Valley in 1935. At present, the deteriorated schoolhouse and mission house remain, along with the cemetery and the ruins of several farmsteads.